Mail-box.



R. H.- WHITT ED. MAIL Box."

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11, 1910.

Patented May '9, 1911.

QIJWQLZI g l j 1% ROBERT H. WHI'ITED, OF GRAWFORDSVILLE, INDIANA.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 11, 1910.

Patented May 9, 1911. Serial No. 548,723.

.T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. WHIT'I'ED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crawfordsville, in the county of Montgomery and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Mail-Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail boxes of that type particularly designed for use upon the doors of oflices and residences and one of the objects thereof is to provide means whereby an alarm will be sounded whenever the box is opened for the purpose of placing mail therein.

Another object is to provide yielding means operated by the movable portion of the box for the purpose of operating the alarm.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a vertical section through the box, the same being shown with its parts in their normal positions. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the box. Fig. 3 is a section on line AB Fig. l, the bell being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 is a section on line G-D Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on line E-F Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates a housing open at the bottom and front, and provided, in the lower portion thereof with a transversely extending bowed supporting strip 2, the ends 3 of which are secured to the sides of the housing in any suitable manner. A block 4 is arranged transversely upon the middle portion of this supporting strip and is adapted to receive fastening devices 5 employed for the purpose of holding a bracket 6 upon the strip 2, the said bracket being connected to a bell 7 or the like. This bell may be of any suitable construction, preferably of that type utilizing a depressible button 8 for the purpose of sounding the same.

The front of the housing 1 is adapted to be closed by a closure 9 having side blocks 10 secured to the inner face thereof adjacent the lower end, the said side blocks being engagedby pivots 11 extending through the sides of the housing. A receptacle 12 is ar ranged upon and secured to the inner face of the closure 9, this receptacle being preferably formed in a single piece of sheet metal, and the sides of the receptacle are so formed with out-turned flanges 13 which are secured to the closure 9, the lower portions of the sides being formed with inturned flanges 1 1 which extend between the blocks 10 and the closure 9 and are fastened to them in any preferred manner. The bottom of the receptacle 12 is formed by bendingan intermediate portion of the metal sheet forward between the side walls and securing it to the closure 9 as shown at 15.

A wire clip 16 of any suitable construction may be arranged upon the front face of the closure 9 for the purpose of holding newspapers or the like upon the closure. As shown in the drawings this clip may be made of a single length of wire having eyes 17 for the reception of fastening devices, the terminals of the wire being extended below the eyes as indicated at 18 so as to rest flat upon the closure 9 and prevent the clip from tilting upon the fasteners when it is sprung open for the reception of newspapers and the like. The main portion of the clip 16 is substantially U-shaped, the intermediate or crown portion thereof being bent outwardly as indicated at 19. A handle 20 may be attached to the upper portion of the closure 9 to facilitate the opening thereof.

In order that motion may be transmitted from the closure to the alarm, a spring strip 21 is secured at one end to the inner face of the closure 9 and bears freely at its other end upon the button 8. When the closure 9 is shut, this spring 21 bears lightly on the button 8, but, when the closure 9 is swung open, the free end of the spring is forced against the button and pushes it inwardly, thus actuating the mechanism within the bell and causing the alarm to be sounded. When the closure 9 is shut the pressure of the spring 21 will of course be removed from the button 8 and the sounding of the alarm will thus be stopped. The mail, when placed in the box, is received by the receptacle 12 and, when the closure 9 is in its normal position, the housing 1 will protect mail from rain, etc. By arranging the bell within the housing and at the point shown in the drawings, said bell constitutes a stop for limiting the outward movement of the 1 0 closure 9 carrying the receptacle.

It will be noted, by referring to the drawings, that the spring 21, by bearing against the button 8, serves to hold the closure 9 normally shut.

While the device has been described as particularly desirable for use upon the doors of residences, ofiic es, etc, it is to be understood that the same can also be employed along rural free delivery routes in which event the bell may be located at a distance and the spring 21 utilized for closing the circuit whereby the bell will be operated electrically whenever the box is opened. Other means may be used for actuating the bell while located at a distance from the box.

It will be seen that the device is very simple in construction and constitutes an efficient means for promptly indicating when the boX is opened.

Various changes can of course be made .in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or saerlficlng any of the advantages of the invention as defined 111 the appended claim.

hat is claimed is A mail box including a housing, a bell secured within the housing and including a depressible element, a closure pivotally connected to the housing, a receptacle mounted upon one face of the closure, and a spring secured at one end to the closure and con stantly bearing at its other end against the depressible element, said spring and element cooperating to hold the closure normally shut and said spring constituting means for shifting the depressible element during the opening of the closure, the bell being arranged in the path of and forming a stop for the closure.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. wrn'rrnn.

Witnesses:

W. L. GATTERLIN, M. HUNT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

